On Committee to consider a Janesville school for closing

Posted on November 24 at 8:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Notice the trial balloons that Mr Severson has let go? "it will take months to study AND then consider alternatives before making a decision" why? Yes, it will take some time to consider alternatives including closings, however, the analysis can begin immediately-set a date for completion and report the results. Keeping it open ended is unacceptable.

Leadership involves making decisions. Potentially is this a tough decision? Yes. Nothing would happen until 2011. The district owes this decision to its teachers/employees and the families of the potential students affected by a proposed closing. Making a decision sooner rather than later helps everyone in the long run. DuWayne Severson has already shown his cards that he is willing to waste "colossal" amounts of tax payer dollars rather than make a tough decision. Is this the right person to lead the school board? The best decision is often the least popular decision but that is leadership.

On Report: Nuclear power won’t solve global warming

Posted on November 21 at 10:28 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

The earth has been warming and cooling for milleniums. Nuclear power is an effective and responsibile choice for future power needs it is not a solution for climate change-nor should it be considered a solution. However, it is the radical environmentalists who reject these ideas. I wonder why?

On Man wants change in chicken ordinance

Posted on November 20 at 9:45 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

zynthia,

Thats a nice response, well done. However, Janesville is a great place to live and raise a family. However, it is situations like this where a city council may not have the communities best intentions. This should be a ballot issue allowing the 20-40% of the citizens who vote---to vote on this issue.

On balance the notion of raising chickens in garage or backyard is not something I would do and I would not appreciate it if my neighbor did this either. My home owners association would not allow this regardless of city ordinance.

With this being the case is this issue really worth the city council's time? I dont know. What it does do is open the opportunity to raise other non domesticated animals for human consumption. This is the real issue. If chickens are allowed what animals will not be allowed? If the argument to allow chickens is accepted why not goats? WHy not pheasant? The broader issue of keeping other pets, such as a chimpanzee? (Remember Travis the chimp-how'd you like to be that persons neighbor?)

There will be a tiny minority of people who choose to raise chickens at home. I dont have an interest one way or the other-I like the debate.

TCB

On Man wants change in chicken ordinance

Posted on November 20 at 7:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

zythia,

you posted that madison has the highest percentage of residents with PhDs. However, the citydata that you site does not breakdown that data to include those people with BA and advanced degrees with free randge ckicken coops in their homes and those without chicken coops. Therefore, the data you site is wholly irrelevant. In otherwords, there is not a correlation between education attainment levels and residential chicken coops.

ALso, valuing locally grown produce is not the same as shopping at your local grocery store. Todays grocery experience is more about convenience and selection. While I fully support those who wish to support local farmers, its not practical for most to buy their eggs and fresh butchered chickend from thy neighbor and then buy my carrots or radishes from another farmer and my corn from yet another farmer and milk from yet another backyard farmer. Its much easier to go to one location.

I thnk its a leap of faith to assume that if city residents are permitted to raise chickens in their backyards that wholesale grocery shopping habits will change.

How about this, assume you are a renter and live in the city. SHould the city grant you permission to raise live chickens in your home or should your land lord?

On Airport looks at commuter flights for GM workers

Posted on November 19 at 6:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

People are missing the big story. There is the potential for a business to expand by offering service to a select group of customers. A flight from Rockford to KC that does not exist currently. This is the beauty of our free market economic. If there is sufficient demand a company will come forward.

Another option is to move to the KC-MO, Johnson County Kansas Area-end the 10 hour 1 way commute. There are 200 people facing this decision. It is a tough decision-but these decisions are common today. What is not common are high paying union jobs. I would not look to an airline for sollace. Airlines hemorragh money, have 3 unions that can shut them down at anytime, and are rarely on time. No airline will operate a route that consistently loses money (years ago this was not the case-today its a different business model).

The question for SCott Huber is how long before retirement? If the answer is 5 or more years-then it might be easier to move.

On Man wants change in chicken ordinance

Posted on November 16 at 4:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Sure why not. ANd if his neighbors decide to raise domesticated fox why is this a problem? The notion that this is "green" is silly. The guy wants to raise chickens and eat the eggs and maybe even the chickens.

Go to a commercial chicken farm and smell how pleasant it is to be around that.

Next someone will raise the idea of maintaining a veal farm in their back yard. Place a few baby calfs in a cage, feed them corn, slaughter them in the backyard and dispose of the waste in your trash. "it reduces the need to transport [veal] over long distances and reduces energy and expenses" (which I infer from the story makes this green).

On UW-W student questions on-campus grocery prices

Posted on November 6 at 12:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

The young man is a journalism major not an economics major. "Afflict the comforted" and comfort the afflicted" is the mantra in most J schools today.

I doubt the convenience store has tested the upper limits of retail pricing. As the weather gets colder the retailer would be wise to increase prices even more as less and less would be inclined to walk a half mile in frigid weather for "easy Mac" or a 12 pack of Coca cola. The marginal increase in revenue could be used to expand the options and draw more customers to the store....

On Wisconsin lawmaker to enter Minnesota rehab clinic

Posted on October 27 at 11:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I think jail time would help as well. 3 time loser.

On What you'll find in our expanded high schools

Posted on October 1 at 6:10 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

What specific improvements will directly contribute to increasing Craig and Parker test scores and what improvements will directly contribute to slowing the increasing rate of dropouts?

On This is a photo of my son who was from Janesville- a troubled youth. After no help from the schools

Posted on September 14 at 9:51 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

It says absolutely nothing about Janesville schools or the justice system-but your comment speaks volumes about your quest to assign blame for this young man being troubled. looks like a chage of scenery has done him well.

Good luck to this young man.